Saab comments on the Swedish Armed Forces budget proposal

GripenNews

02 March 2011

Yesterday the Swedish Armed Forces released their budget proposal that includes planned spending and planned procurment for the coming four years. A clear commitment to the JAS 39 Gripen for another 30 years is expressed.

The Swedish parliament have previously decided that the Gripen system will provide the back-bone in the Swedish air defence until 2040. In the budget proposal it is clear that the Armed Forces argues for an upgrade of the Jas 39 Gripen fleet during 2020-2030 to remain competitive.

“This clear commitment to the Gripen system is of course positive for us. We are part of the capability upgrades and can support the needs of the Swedish Armed Forces. This is also a cost efficent way for Sweden to have a competitive fighter aircraft over the coming 30 years,” says Jonas Hjelm, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, and adds:

“At the same time it is important to remember that the budget proposal is part of a larger process and political standpoints.”

The challenge of every Air Force, from acquisition to boneyard, is that of cost. Fighter aircraft need to be at the cutting edge of technology. At the same time, they need to fit into national budgets and be frugal in operations and maintenance. Countries like India, with a very large expanse of sea and land boundaries which are vulnerable from many sides, need that many more aircraft in the air. All this thinking went into Gripen from its very inception.

To ensure success, air force operations rely on an intricate web of support activities. One is the ability to perform aircraft maintenance wherever necessary, thereby ensuring that the system issued to deployed task forces is ready for operational use.